EXAMINING A HIERARCHICAL MODEL OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN OLDER ADULTS. (11th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rubinstein, S; Prenoveau, J; Weis, A; Weis, A; Vine, J; Futterman, A
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 2(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 277
• Page End: 277
• Publication Date: 2018-11-11
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.1024
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: This study examines a hierarchical model of depression and anxiety, using interview-assessed symptoms in a random sample of 287 community-dwelling older adults living in a Northeastern city. The hierarchical model included a broad factor, representing general distress, which included all symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as narrower factors of anxious-misery (depressive symptoms) and fear (fear and anxiety symptoms). Symptoms were assessed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia - Change Version (SADS-C) structured psychiatric interview by trained interviewers. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted with Mplus and robust categorical least squares were used for model estimation. Consistent with past research in samples not specific to older adults, the hierarchical model of depression and anxiety provided a good fit to the data, CFI=.997; TLI = .996; RMSEA = .02, with both levels accounting for substantial symptom variance. Model factors generally demonstrated expected convergent and discriminant associations with respect to other constructs. For example, the general distress factor demonstrated a large, significant relation with neuroticism, whereas after accounting for general distress, neither fear nor anxious-misery factors were significantly related to neuroticism. Elucidating such structural relationships among anxiety and depressive symptoms in older adults clearly benefits research into the classification, etiology, and treatment of disorders of anxiety and depression in later life.